SP trade wing leader, brother gunned down

Varanasi/LUCKNOW: State vice-president of Samajwadi Party Vyapar Sabha, Ajay Barnwal, and his younger brother Vijay Barnwal, were shot dead at the gates of their house in Ghazipur district late on Friday evening.

One of the leading jewelers of Ghazipur, the brother duo had barely reached home carrying a chunk of their jewellery stock in a bag, when miscreants struck and decamped with the stock they were carrying.

ADG law and order Arun Kumar left for Ghazipur after the news of murders came. The incident took place at around 7:30pm on Friday when Ajay and Vijay were closing their showroom.

The brother duo reached home carrying a big bag containing jewellery. As the younger brother got down from the vehicle to open the gate of the house, some miscreants riding motorcycles arrived at the spot and opened fire. The brother duo reportedly tried to get into the house to take cover but three assailants followed them firing from handguns while their associates reached out for the bag containing the jewellery.

When the brother duo tried to resist, them robbers fired at them repeatedly till they hit the ground. The miscreants then sped away with the booty. Locals told the police that the shootout lasted barely 2 minutes.

The locals and family members rushed the brother duo to a nursing home from where they were referred to the medical college in Varanasi. But they died on the way.

The incident triggered anger among the local traders who downed the shutters in protest. Senior officials including DIG Varanasi and IG Varanasi rushed to the medical college to meet the family.

The officials later reached the scene of crime. Investigations were underway to identify the killers. Police suspect that the killers were aware that the brother duo were carrying the jewellery.